After Death
by MSPJO22
Summary: Percy Jackson and Annabeth Jackson neé Chase. Age 129. Best friends since 12, dating since 16, married since 20. They're on their deathbeds. So where will they go, when their fates are in the hands of Hades, Minos, Shakespeare, and Jefferson?


**I was bored. Let's leave it at that. But I'm not saying I'm not proud of it. Sorry to those of you who are waiting on my other stories, but I've been really busy, and if I get an idea, I immediately write it down. This one was a one-shot, so it was easy to upload and get out of my mind.**

* * *

Annabeth Chase, age 129, lay silently in her bed in the hospital. She was only hospitalized because of her age, her wrinkled skin, and the joints in her legs refusing to obey.

She didn't look like the Annabeth she used to be. Her eyes, once a light, stormy gray, had long since turned a dull color. Her honey-blond hair had yellowed and grayed until they just looked like a mass of black, white, and yellow. Her tan skin had bleached, turning a sickly pale color, old and wrinkled.

She couldn't bear the fact that her husband of 109 years, with whom she had gone through nearly everything with, was lying in the next room – but she couldn't communicate with him.

Her children, Luke Charles Jackson, and Silena Bianca Jackson, plus their families, had just left her room. They were both 101 years old.

Annabeth couldn't believe that she'd lived long enough to see her great-great grandchildren, and was currently expecting a great-great-great grandchild.

She pressed the buzzer on the stand next to her bed, to alert the nurses. She could feel her life slipping away slowly, and she swore she could even see Thanatos himself in the shadowy corner of the hospital room.

A nurse immediately rushed to her bed.

"Dear, is everything alright? Are you hungry? Thirsty?" the woman asked frantically, checking all of the machines that Annabeth was hooked up to and looking her up and down.

"Alright," Annabeth croaked.

"Then why'd you press the button?" The nurse asked.

"Husband…" she mumbled.

"Yes, dear, I'm sorry, I'm sure he'll visit you," she soothed Annabeth. Annabeth shook her head, but someone rang the buzzer in the next room before she could say anything.

"Sorry, honey, but I've got to go get that," the woman said, turning away.

Annabeth fell into a, for once, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Percy Jackson, age 129, was not a happy man.

For one, he was hooked up to various machines, and lying in a hospital bed, just because of his age. He felt fully capable of running around.

Also, his wife, Annabeth Chase, was in the next room – unreachable from where Percy lay. He heard talking in Annabeth's room and rang the buzzer on his nightstand.

A nurse ran into his room.

"Dear, is everything alright? Are you hungry? Thirsty?" the nurse asked, checking his machines, tubes, and body.

Percy shook his head.

The woman sighed. "Then what is it?" she asked somewhat impatiently.

"Wife…" Percy muttered.

"Yes, dear, I'm sorry, I'm sure she'll visit you," the nurse attempted to calm Percy.

To put it at the least, it didn't work.

"Pen… paper… envelope…" Percy croaked, miming writing something down. Thankfully, the nurse understood. Percy could practically feel his soul struggling to stay in the mortal world.

The woman came back after a moment, holding a piece of paper, a ballpoint pen, and a clean, white envelope.

Percy set pen against paper and began to write.

* * *

Annabeth was still not happy. She was about to ring the bell again when the nurse came into her room, holding an envelope. She took one look at her name written – more like scrawled – in messy handwriting, and her face immediately lit up.

She tore open the envelope and pulled a piece of paper out.

_For my dearest Annabeth,_ she read. When did Percy become so cheesy?

_Now, before you go all 'When did Percy become so cheesy?', I'd like you to know that I haven't. I was just trying it out before Uncle H gets ahold of us._ Annabeth gave a short laugh, her lungs burning. Seaweed Brain, she thought.

_I love you, Wise Girl. We've been through everything together. Best friends since 12, dating since 16, married for 109 years. We've been through that T-hole together. Not even that stopped us from being with each other._

_I can't believe it's a wall right now. All I want to do is to hold you in my arms and be able to call you mine again. But, alas, I swear I can see Death in the corner. Literally._

_If you can, ask the nurses if we can be together for our last moments. My life's adventure started when I met you, and I want it to end with you. Hopefully, we'll both get Elysium. Maybe even try for rebirth, but we'll talk about that later._

_Don't worry. Our friends are waiting for us there. And you'll be the last thought in my mind. Here's a picture of when we were sixteen, back in those good ol' days._

_Luke and Silena will hold out. They've got the blessings of their namesakes, and their middle-name-namesakes. And they've got their families. They know their time is near, too._

_But will all the love I can put into this measly little letter (which, mind you, took forever to write with dyslexia),_

_Your Seaweed Brain, Perseus Jackson._

Annabeth wiped the tears she hadn't noticed were forming around her eyes away. She heard sniffling and turned her head.

The nurse was standing behind her, eyes brimming with tears.

"Oh- oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized. "I didn't know you were married. I'll get him over here right away!" She hurried off.

Annabeth shook the envelope, and a small piece of photo paper fluttered out. She picked it up and studied it.

It was a picture of her, Percy, the rest of the seven, plus Thalia and Nico, standing in front of the Parthenon – now with the Athena Parthenos inside – in Greece, right after Gaea had been lulled back to sleep.

She was sitting on the ground, in between Percy's legs. They were both grinning. Behind them, Jason and Leo each had an arm around Piper's shoulders, only Jason was also pressing a kiss to her forehead. Thalia stood next to Jason, laughing and ruffling his hair. Hazel and Frank stood side-by-side, holding hands, smiling hugely. Even Nico, the little emotionless rock, was smiling. He was lying on the ground, legs kicked out and his arms behind his head.

She couldn't help but think about them.

As it turns out, they had all made it to the Isles of the Blessed. Jason and Piper had died about two months ago, also in the hospital. Nico was his father's immortal Lieutenant, as Thalia was Artemis'. Leo had died a natural death as well, but in his home rather than in a hospital.

Frank had been wounded severely in battle, while in eagle form. As he fell, his body shape-shifted back into a human form, unfortunately. He slammed into the ground all of his bones breaking and killing him on impact.

Hazel had died not long after.

She was yanked out of her thoughts when the nurse came back in, wheeling in a man with messy black hair and sea green eyes.

"Percy!" she exclaimed as loud as she could, which, wasn't so loud. he broke into a grin and was helped up by the nurse. He walked to her bed and slipped under the covers with her, his arms wound around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck.

The nurse smiled at the scene in front of her: two old people, hopelessly in love, accepting the fact that they were going to die soon – with only the wish of being together when it happened. Quietly, not wanting to disturb the moment, she slipped out of the door.

"Wise Girl," Percy whispered, staring into her eyes.

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth breathed.

They kissed, and the fireworks from their first time were still there. Annabeth knotted her fingers into Percy's hair and he pulled her closer. She parted, breathing heavily.

Both of their eyelids began to droop and they felt faint.

"Percy," Annabeth murmured. "Write the time," she said.

Percy nodded and wrote, on the back of the letter, _Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Jackson neé Chase, both died August 18, 1:42 PM._

He smiled and sighed.

"I love you," he mumbled against her lips. "See you on the beach?"

She laughed. "Yeah. And I love you too," she sighed, before they drifted off – never to be awoken again.

* * *

Percy fidgeted in line. Annabeth grabbed his wrist, and he immediately calmed. She laughed at him, but it was short, for they both still looked ancient.

"Seaweed Brain," she assured him. "You'll get to Elysium for sure."

He nodded and smiled warmly at her.

"Annabeth Chase," a bored voice called. Annabeth, slightly shaking, stepped up.

There were three men sitting at the table: Thomas Jefferson, William Shakespeare, and Minos. Shakespeare set a hand on her forehead, and she felt faint for a moment.

Slowly, the sensation cleared out. "Annabeth Chase," Jefferson said. "You have done great deeds in your life… erm, I mean, lives. For that, you shall go to the Isles," he told her, pointing a lazy hand at the golden gates behind him. She gaped.

"Now, now, Tommy," Minos chided. "We've got to show her her lives first." He waved a hand, and suddenly a holographic screen showed up.

First, she saw a young, beautiful woman, with pointy ears… an elf. She was attacked by weird troll-looking things, but before she was killed, she managed to transport the blue stone in her hands somewhere else.

The screen went black for a while. Then it flashed again: it showed a young farm boy, an older man, a blue… dragon. Then there was another beautiful woman wearing a crown on her head. She seemed to be queen. The images went by faster.

The next thing she saw was the same young boy as before lifting a flaming sword above his head. Then, a green dragon, becoming a queen, the boy in a ship sailing away.

The scenery changed completely.

This time, she was a young girl, about 11, with fiery red hair. She was standing with a bunch of other red-reads, a boy with green eyes and a scar, and a bushy-haired girl. They were all holding sticks… wands.

Then she was holding a diary, in a chamber (soaking wet, too), kissing the boy with green eyes, losing a brother, and then getting married… to that same boy with green eyes.

Minos waved his hand again and the images dissipated.

"So, what will it be?" he asked. "Demigod, witch, or elven Dragon Rider?"

Annabeth didn't even have to think. "Demigod," she said immediately.

Minos scowled. "They always do. The last five that came in there, they came from the same lifetimes, didn't they? All chose demigod." Annabeth smiled. She had a suspicion that they were talking about Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, and Leo.

"Perseus Jackson," Shakespeare called and Annabeth was shoved towards the gates.

The moment she stumbled through, her body began to shift to her prime, best form: the body of a sixteen-year-old Annabeth. Her hair lost its gray, except for the one streak, and returned to honey-blond. Her gray eyes lightened up again, her skin gaining color, her muscles returning. She smiled.

* * *

Percy shifted uncomfortably in front of the judges. Questions and worries were racing through his mind. What is he went to Punishment? Asphodel? Or, even Elysium? He wouldn't be with Annabeth anymore.

With these thoughts, he wasn't listening to the judges' verdict. Then Minos waved a hand, and a holographic video screen popped up.

Percy saw a boy with messy hair sitting at a table with an older man and another boy, older than the first, but younger than the second. More images flashed by: a blue stone, a blue dragon, an old man, a house on fire, a woman with pointy ears… an elf, dwarves, more elves, another boy, a red dragon, a red sword, a golden dragon, a mad man with a black dragon, the woman from before on a green dragon, and then sailing away in a boat.

The scene changed.

There was a boy again, with messy hair and emerald green eyes, similar to his own sea green ones. He was in a cupboard. That's when it went on fast forward. Percy watched as the boy grew up. He was holding a stick – er, wand. There was a family of red-heads, a bushy-haired girl, then a giant chess set, a two-faced man, a soaked girl lying in a chamber with a giant snake, a tired man with a small beard, a tournament – with vicious dragons, mermaid and mermen, and a hedge maze. But that wasn't it. There was a dead body, thrown back by a green light, a no-nosed man, a toad-like woman, an old man falling from a tower after a greasy-haired man blasted him with green light. The boy was faced against the no-nosed man again, and after a moment, the man was dead. Next, he was getting married to the red-headed girl from the chamber, and having kids.

Minos waved his hand.

"So, what will it be?" he asked. "Demigod, wizard, or human Dragon Rider?"

It took Percy less than a moment to answer. "Demigod."

Minos scowled. "They always do. The last six that came in there, they came from the same lifetimes, didn't they? All chose demigod." Percy smiled inwardly. He interpreted it as Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, Leo, and Annabeth.

"Dameon Rianild," Shakespeare shouted. Percy was pushed towards the golden gates.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, he began to transform. His hair lost its dull color and went back to its original pitch black, excluding one strand. His eyes, which had lost their spark, looked alive again. His skin became tanner, his frame more lean and muscular. He grinned. He looked sixteen again.

He walked farther into the paradise until he reached a crystal stream. Remembering his last words, he followed it to a beach - where he found the single most beautiful girl the world had ever seen.

"Annabeth!" he yelled, running towards her. She looked up and grinned.

"Percy!" she shouted back, scrambling up and sprinting towards him. The collided awkwardly, but Percy wrapped his arms around Annabeth's waist and spun her around, laughing. She gave him a quick kiss, grabbing his wrist.

"Here, you have to see this," Annabeth said, dragging him away. She led him to a small house on the far side of the beach. Annabeth stopped and looked at it proudly. Percy could see why. It was magnificent.

"Whoa," Percy breathed. Somehow, it looked familiar. He racked his brain for it.

"Hold on a moment..." he said slowly, the truth dawning on him. "Is this the house you were designing before we were sent off to that too-white hellhole?" he asked. Annabeth just smiled at him. "Hubris, babe," he whispered in her ear and she seemed to deflate.

"Anyways," she perked back up. "This is our house. And guess who lives next door?" she pointed to the two houses to the left and one on the right. They were of the same design, but different colors.

Where theirs was half green, half gray, one was pink and blue, another red and gold, and the other house was just red.

Once again, Annabeth was draggin Percy. She marched up the stairs to the porch of the pink/blue house and knocked on the door.

It swung open to reveal a two fifteen-year-olds: Jason and Piper.

"Percy! Annabeth!" they both shouted and hugged him.

Apparently, their shout was so loud, the other neighbors came running out. From the red and gold house, Hazel and Frank burst out, and from the red house, a flaming Leo sprinted. They all tackled Percy and Annabeth.

"Whoo!" Leo yelled, and they realized he was covered in bandages.

"Leo, what happened to you?" Annabeth asked, concerned.

Leo glared at Jason. "I took Jason's advice from out first quest," he grumbled.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Jason burst out laughing. "On our first quest, I told him that maybe he could fly. You know, jump off a building and yell, 'FLAME ON!' Since he can't die here, he gave it a go. Needless to say, it didn't work."

"Yeah, well," Percy said, yawning. "We're tired from all that dying, so we're just gonna go now..."

They all hugged again, and then separated. "See you tomorrow!" Percy and Annabeth called.

Once in their house, the couple beelined for the bedroom. They got in together, Percy in boxers and Annabeth in a tank top and short shorts.

They hugged each other.

"I wonder if Silena, Beckendorf, Luke, and the others are here," Percy voiced his thoughts.

"We'll find out tomorrow," Annabeth said, her eyes closing.

Percy gave her a quick kiss. "I never would have thought we'd end up here."

"Me either," Annabeth admitted. "Even if we didn't, and you or I went to Punishment, then we would've been together, right?"

Percy smiled, pulled her closer, and nodded. "As long as we're together."

* * *

**Awww... so cute and fluffy. It was just an idea that came to mind, so yeah.**

**~Luke II**


End file.
